When treating a patient, it is often beneficial to intermittently infuse fluids such as drugs and nutrients. This type of delivery is useful in a variety of treatments, including chemotherapy, pain control, nutritional therapies, antibiotic treatments, and other types of medical treatments. An example of intermittent delivery might call for delivering 25 milliliters of an antibiotic during a one-hour interval and then repeating the delivery every 8 hours. The interval during which the fluid is delivered is called an infusion interval. The interval between consecutive infusion intervals is called a non-infusion interval.
Additionally, there is often a need to disable the pump from time to time in order to allow the patient to move more freely for activities such as exercise or showers. The pump also may have to be disabled for maintenance such as changing the fluid reservoir or power supply.
As a result, there is a need for a medical pump and method that permits a patient to get a full dose of fluid despite disabling the pump. There is also a need for a pump that will provide a predictable window of time during which the patient or caregiver can disable the pump without delaying subsequent infusion intervals or non-infusion intervals.